Notably, a person doesn’t need the flexibility like a gymnast to deadlift.  

Some people aren’t flexible enough for deadlifting for various reasons. Fueled by emotion, enthusiasts often wonder what to do if someone is not flexible enough to deadlift? 

You must strengthen your hamstring and joints to be more flexible. Increase mobility and control your lower back position to improve your hamstring. Shift your weight off and sit back from the bar for the deadlift. There are many exercises to fix inflexibility like yoga, hip scout, lightweight, etc.

Now, what to do to fix the inflexibility issue? The possibility and expected ways are discussed below. Hopefully, you’ll know the cure and not overdo anything.

So, let’s get started!

What Happens When You Are Not Flexible Enough To Deadlift?

Deadlift exercise is an effective and prominent exercise among weightlifters and gym enthusiasts. The deadlift is one of the main compound exercises acclaimed by bodybuilders or weightlifters. 

So when you are not flexible enough to deadlift, you miss the opportunity for versatile fitness. Weirdly, fitness enthusiasts take this seriously on the account and go for deadly options. And that is highly discouraged.

On this loss, you may question what are the benefits of deadlift. What makes a huge difference to fitness enthusiasts when they can’t deadlift?

Well, that’s the outcome of exercise! To be more precise, here are some benefits of deadlifting-

• Volunteers in losing high-level fat.
• Helps in strengthening the core.
• Improves bad posture.
• Targets in strengthening lower-back muscles.
• Promotes new bone growth and improves bone density.
• Prevents back injuries
• Increases growth hormone produced in the pituitary gland and testosterone.
• Promotes glute gains.
• Suitable for all fitness levels.

These advantages of deadlifting imply how important it is for bodybuilding enthusiasts. Due to inflexibility, they miss out on these benefits. Some diehard deadlift fans often go beyond the limit and mess up.

They deadlift without consulting the gym trainer or taking any adequate precautions. These cause deadly injuries, including 

• Lower back injury, 
• Muscle rupture, 
• Strain of the lumbar spine, 
• Shoulder pain due to bone dislocation,
• Tear tricep and bicep, etc.

These terrible outcomes of forceful deadlifting are also the risks of deadlifting.

How Can You Do Deadlifts If You’re Too Inflexible?

Flexibility is the first and foremost condition for deadlifting. Therefore, you can not deadlift if you are too inflexible. 

You have to focus on increasing your flexibility. Whatever the result may be, exercise for increasing flexibility is highly appreciated. Maybe you’ll also be able to do rack pull or Romanian deadlift. 

How To Reduce The Inflexibility Of Deadlifts?

Among the flexibility-increasing exercises, deadlift hamstring flexibility is the most renowned. Hamstrings are skeletal muscles on the back of your thigh. It’s used to walk, climb, and perform many other leg movements. This spot is vulnerable to injuries.

Therefore, you feel deadlift more on your hamstrings. That’s why it is imperative to know basic exercises to improve hamstring flexibility and avoid injuries.

Hurdle Stretch: This depends on your flexibility. While lying on the bed; stretch your legs on the elevated surface. Careful when you lean forward from your hips. 

Do this by pushing your butt back and going towards the leg. Remember not to bend your spine while touching the toes.

Continue with the process while you breathe deep and exhale gently. Hold on the stretch for 30 seconds and then repeat on another side. 

Hamstring PNF: PNF, as in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation and contract, affects stretching more effectively. While doing reps, in between the gaps, bend your knee to contract your hamstrings. 

Do this by pulling the heels to your butt. Stay still for 3-1o seconds and then release. Continue doing the stretches. Tight hamstrings are often the reason for bad deadlift performance.

Straight Leg Raised With Load: This strengthens your core by increasing flexibility and decreasing tone.

• Try with normal SLR (Straight Leg Raise)
• Hold up a weight with the opposite arm. 
• Repeat SLR. If you succeed, you have a neuromuscular control issue.

 Careful when you stretch to avoid contraction of the spinal cord.

Squats and Hip Hinges: Studies show increased flexibility stays for a maximum of 6 minutes after the stretching program. So it is wise to always keep up with the stretching.

Squatting and hip hinges are key exercises. Regularly going these with slight weight could help you with your hamstring flexibility.

Do Squats Help Deadlift?

Yes, squats help to deadlift. Squats include bending and stretching leg muscles. This increases flexibility.

For deadlifting, flexibility is necessary; without it, lowering back and lifting weight is impossible. So when you squat, your lower back becomes flexible making it possible to deadlift. But be careful with any popping while squatting, it may mean that you are doing it wrong. 

Where Should You Feel A Deadlift?

The deadlift is a full-body movement. You will feel it in your whole body while exercising. Everything i.e, shoulders, arms, chest, your lower body, remains in motion. 

Yet, you will feel it in specific regions while maintaining proper flexibility. Because this pressures the lower body more. The specific parts include-

• Posterior chain
• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Erector, spine, and back muscles.

But as told, there’re supplements that can help you feel less exhausted. Also, can help you with increasing the flexibility of muscles. Two of the supplements are mentioned here:

You can try these supplements for increasing your flexibility. These are supposed to lower the pain after a deadlift.

What Happens If You Deadlift Wrong?

Deadlift places enormous pressure on the whole body, especially the lower-back region. Deadly outcomes are imperative if you exercise wrong or any inflexible person tries to overdo it.

So, spinal deterioration is the first thing to happen if deadlifting goes wrong. Then your hips, thighs, shoulder, and ankles will hurt.

Not to mention, muscle contraction and teary ligaments are two heinous injuries to pop up.

What Are The Alternatives Of Regular Deadlifts?

Regular deadlifts require a lot of flexibility to meet the deadlifting demand. Not everyone can do that due to inflexibility issues. 

Still, there are some alternative exercises to consider. Not much pressure is needed in the lower back but is effective. The alternatives are-

1. Glute bridge
2. Barbell hip thrust
3. Lying hamstring curl with band
4. Trap bar deadlift
5. Single-leg Romanian deadlift
6. Cable pull through
7. Bulgarian split squat
8. Kettlebell swings
9. Bent-over row
10. Pistol squat
11. Takeaway

Conventional deadlifts are famous and widely renowned as the King Of Weightlifting Exercises. Their target is the entire posterior chain, hamstrings, glutes, rhomboids, traps, and core.

As the lower back usually takes the burn, problems arise when done in the wrong position. However, these alternative exercises target the same as deadlifting.

Having said that, you may also ask about the most flexible deadlift bar. Fitness enthusiasts use seven deadlift bars-

1. Texas deadlift
2. Rogue Ohio 
3. Valor fitness OB-DL
4. ISF Deadlift bar
5. StrongArm Sumo
6. Bells of steel trap bar 3.0
7. Rogue bar 2.0

Pick up any bar you’d like to work on according to your fitness and convenience. 

Preventive Measures/Tips:

Techniques and positions are the basics while doing exercise. Here I’m mentioning some essential tips to take while deadlifting-

• Keep an erect torso with shoulder blades locked in to maintain lumbar lordosis during the lift.
• Before beginning the lift, verify that you are locked and loaded. So you can push through the floor to transfer the appropriate weight. It’s better rather than pulling with your upper back and arms.
• Begin with the bar as near your shins as possible. Then maintain this position for as long as feasible during the lift.
• Keeping the bar close to the body is critical. This avoids overloading the upper back and generating power via both the hips and lower back.
• Throughout the movement, don’t extend your knees prematurely, taking the torso from its essential upright position.
• Maintain a level head.

There goes a saying; Prevention is better than cure. The saying goes perfect here. Deadlifting could be injurious. Better you take these measures while you do the deadlift. 

FAQs

Do Deadlifts Increase Flexibility?

Yes, deadlifts increase flexibility. You have to lower your back and dumbbells and lift in turns for deadlifting. Doing it by keeping your arms wide and dynamically stretching your shoulders and chest. This undoubtedly increases your flexibility. 

How much does a beginner deadlift?

A 20kg bar is suitable for a beginner to deadlift. It becomes problematic when you are new and pick it up from the floor. So, as a beginner, stick with light plates weighing 5-10kg. Moreover, starting with 30-40 kg won’t be an issue if you don’t have any back problems.

Do Deadlifts Damage Your Spine?

No, deadlifts do not tend to damage the disc of the spine. Sometimes you may have some previously concerning areas that may be vulnerable to injuries. Experts say one should consult a doctor to know the issues before deadlifting. Because deadlift is already renowned as a risky exercise. 

Conclusion 

Now you know what happens when you’re not flexible enough to deadlift. You cannot possibly deadlift with inflexibility to avoid serious long time injuries.

There are possible exercises to increase the flexibility of the body. Whatever the outcome is, everyone with inflexibility is encouraged to work out.

I hope this article was insightful and you got answers to all your queries. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment. Enjoy!